5 Ways to Promote Health and Wellness at Work

Having your own business and workforce can be stressful to manage. You are constantly having to worry about staying in compliance with labor codes, paying your employees on time, keeping the working environment safe and interesting, and let’s not forget to mention, keeping your employees happy and engaged.

We’ve found that promoting health and wellness at work throughout the year can help you reach an increased level of employee satisfaction. Here are 5 ideas you can implement to promote health and wellness in your workplace:

Hold health related challenges

Your employees will enjoy some friendly competition! Spice things up by incorporating a walking challenge or weight maintenance/loss challenge to get people pumped, active, and serious about their health! You can incentivize their participation with awesome prizes. Ex: Whoever walks the most steps in 30 days (can be tracked by phone apps, Fitbits, watches, and more) will win $100. You can even design the challenge to where your employees can break off into teams of 3 or more with those outside of their regular departments further developing a friendly work environment.

Allow dogs in office/Bring your dog to work day!

Some of us dog-lovers firmly believe that the presence of dogs/puppies can relieve unwanted stress. Welcoming dogs in the workplace is not always a common perk that companies offer. There are other factors to consider such as: are people allergic to dogs, are people afraid of dogs, will having dogs be too much of a distraction? But if all checks out and employees don’t mind – test it out! You might find yourself in a happier environment.

Walking meetings

Trail away from the conventional sit-down meeting and go for a nice walk outdoors to discuss business. You happen to be killing two birds with one stone when you are doing something active while exercising your mind. Not only is the activity important, but some fresh air doesn’t hurt anyone!

Provide a list of healthy dining options in a 2-mile radius of your office or healthy snacks

Printing out a list of potential dining options for your employees to grab their lunch from gives them a sense of what surrounds your office beyond the Jack in the Box next door. They may be opting for what’s quick and close but are unaware that there is something healthier just as quick and just as close.

You can also provide granola bars or fresh fruit in the break room instead of donuts or candy!

Gift branded reusable water bottles to your team

Staying hydrated is something most adults overlook! We are consumed in our daily activities, substitute water for sugary drinks, and just flat out forget to drink water. But the consumption of water is super important to our health – avoid becoming dehydrated as it results in headaches decreasing performance. Plus, a little branding, even just to your employees, goes a long way!

Advantages of Creating a Healthy Work Environment

You may be wondering how this exactly impacts your business. Investing in employee wellness is a benefit to the employer as well. With efforts to increase the health of your employees, you are:

Improving productivity

Increasing employee retention

Saving on health insurance

Increasing employee satisfaction

A healthy employee is a happy employee, and happy employees reflect your company!

This article provides general information and shouldn’t be construed as legal or HR advice. Since employment laws may change over time and can vary by location and industry, please consult a lawyer or HR expert for advice specific to your business. You can also contact Payroll Systems to inquire about our HR support services.